Wine Advocate (99)

The flagship single-vineyard 2018 Viña El Pisón has to be one of the finest vintages for this bottling. It's named after a plot of 2.4 hectares planted in 1945 in the village of Laguardia. The vineyard is an amphitheater with changing soils of limestone, clay and sandstone with a deep combination of limestone and silt. The grapes underwent a 24- to 48-hour cold soak and fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats for 10-12 days, during which time the grapes were foot trodden twice per day. It matured in French oak barrels for nine months. There's something mysterious about this Pisón; it's subtle and elegant, a little austere and reticent at first. The palate is seamless, silky with very refined tannins, with gobsmacking balance and a very long, clean and precise finish. This is superb. 6,600 bottles were filled in June 2020.

Guía Peñín (99)

Style: complex, with personality. Colour: bright cherry. Aroma: expressive, characterful, red berry notes, ripe fruit, spicy, balanced, chalk, new oak. Flavour: flavourful, long, chalky, spicy, ripe fruit, round tannins, complex.

Falstaff (99)

Dark berryish nose: blueberry, cassis and some sour cherry, complemented by vivid, cool, savoury notes, subtle liquorice, and an engaging minerality. Extremely elegant on the palate, yet powerful, with polished, fine tannins and floral nuances on the long finish.

James Suckling (99)

Vina El Pison has been delivering persistent greatness over the past eight years, and the magic of this vintage rests with its complexity, which is all about purity of immaculate fruit. The wine is minerally and complete, with impeccable powdery tannins that seamlessly coat the palate. It is bright, vibrant, floral and almost fruity, but still a bit timid on the nose. The palate shows what it is capable of, with melted, dissolved tannins and a long, minerally finish without much adornment. From organically grown grapes. Tasted twice, including a blind tasting against El Carretil, San Lazaro and La Poza de Ballesteros. It still stood out. Drink or hold.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Finca de los Locos - great name - is a 2.8-hectare vineyard that was planted close to the bodega in 1981 on chalk and gravel soils. A blend of Tempranillo, 20% Graciano and 5% Viura, this is scented, focused and pithy, with aromas of thyme and lavender, pomegranate and redcurrant fruit and the sculpted tannins that are a feature of Arturo de Miguel's winemaking.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

A vineyard doesn't have to be old to make great wines, as this 3.9-hectare parcel, planted at 720 metres in Samaniego as recently as 2013 demonstrates. Balanced, chalky, racy and refreshing, with chiselled acidity, understated oak influence, bramble, blackberry and cranberry fruit and a long, tapering finish. 2024-32

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Paso Las Mañas comes from one of the highest vineyards in Samaniego, located on very poor soils at 720 metres. The vines are only eight years old, but there's no shortage of concentration or intensity here. Pine and rosemary aromas are a scented introduction to a palate of impressive precision and minerality, with subtle reduction and cranberry, plum and pomegranate fruit.

Tim Atkin MW (91)

I like new wood less and less," says Arturo de Miguel, who uses none whatsoever on this cuvée of Tempranillo with 13% Graciano from the villages of Ábalos, Samaniego, San Vicente and Villabuena. Sappy, crunchy and refreshing, with lots of bramble and red cherry fruit and a hint of stony reduction. 2024-27

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Now into its second vintage, Trascuevas is the only white in the Artuke range, made with an unusual blend of Viura and 5% each of Malvasía and Palomino from Ábalos, Baños de Ebro and Samaniego. Fermented and aged in concrete and older barrels, this has flavours of lemongrass, lime and citrus peel and a tapering, mineral-etched finish.

Decanter (97)

The bouquet is full of fragrant black fruits, cinnamon, cumin and Frankincense, the palate beautifully fleshy and textured, carrying cigar box, vanilla, blueberry and silky tannins through to a lingering, richly-fruited, finish. Such refined elegance! Outstanding.

Wine Advocate (100)

The new bottling of the NV Reliquia Palo Cortado comes in a small bottle with a handmade and different label every year (so, each year the Palo Cortado is different in style and all the labels in that bottling are slightly different, as they are painted by hand by the artist, but in the same style). These are wines that, unless something very strange happens, are not going to show any differences, because the rotation of wine in the bottles is really small, as they all have their soleras and criaderas because of how the system is managed, especially in the case of the Palo Cortado, which is the more abundant of these Reliquia wines. In any case, these wines can get more concentrated and powerful, but they are already so concentrated and powerful that it is difficult to notice any differences. This wine will outlive us all. Only 80 half bottles are available yearly for the whole world.

Crafted by Spain's trailblazing oenologist, Benjamin Romeo, the 'Benjamin Romeo Coleccion No. 3 Parcela el Bombon 2018' is a masterclass in winemaking. Produced in an old stone winery situated in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, amidst the terraced foothills of Sierra Cantabria, the bold viticulture shines through in each bottle. The grapes are manually harvested from the vineyard 'el Bombon', which is renowned for its high-altitude exposure and limestone-rich soils, allowing for peak ripening.

The 2018 vintage is marked by its complex intensity and age-worthy structure. After 14 months of French oak barrique maturation, this Tempranillo showcases ripe blackberry, tobacco and spice notes, layered with a captivating minerality. Sitting at 14.5% alcohol, the 'Benjamin Romeo Coleccion No. 3 Parcela el Bombon 2018' exhibits a beautiful balance between power and elegance. Ideal for serious collectors and Spanish wine enthusiasts.

The Benjamin Romeo Coleccion No. 4 Parcela La Dehesa 2018 is the epitome of meticulous viticulture and stylish winemaking. Nestled in the heart of Spain's Rioja DOC, this single vineyard, hand-harvested Tempranillo, reflects the noble terroir it arises from. Benjamin Romeo, a maestro winemaker celebrates the elegance and complexity of this high-altitude parcel with an exquisite bottle that radiates the vibrancy of the region.

In the traditional winemaking process, harsh chemicals are scrupulously avoided. Following alcoholic fermentation, the wine is left to age in French oak for 18 months, contributing to its dark ruby hue, complex yet balanced palette of black fruits, spices and a whisper of minerality on the finish.

Romeo's passion for precision, along with innovative wine techniques, results in the Benjamin Romeo Coleccion No. 4 Parcela La Dehesa 2018’s charismatic, full-bodied yet velvety texture, securing its place amongst the world's best full-bodied red wines.

Decanter (97)

‘You can’t spit this,’ Benjamín Romeo told me when I tasted it from barrel. It wasn’t the finished blend, but after a gap in production in 2013, Contador is back with a swagger. Rosemary, violets and dense plum and blackberry fruit, ripe tannins and a fresh flourish. This is a big wine, but it doesn’t lack subtlety.

Wine Advocate (98)

I like the austerity and seriousness of the 2018 Contador, which has very similar parameters as the 2019 but comes through as fresher and more balanced, with very fine tannins and pungent flavors and a long, dry and chalky finish. It's approachable now but should improve with time in bottle. Fermentation and élevage were the same as in 2019—oak vat and 20 months in new barriques, which are being absorbed without problems. It's rich and powerful but with elegance and lots of balance. It should be a classical and long-lived vintage of Contador. 4,500 bottles produced.